THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 13 aired March 27, 2000

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Kim's Commercial Comments
4. Don't miss
5. TV Trivia
6. Favorite quotes of the week
7. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

You were expecting a review of the Oscars? Well, so was I. But I was just so inspired by the crop of new shows on the networks these past few weeks that I decided it was much more important to write about those. So I will just say this about the Oscars: someone should have talked to Tyra about her dress BEFORE she got on live TV, and why oh why haven't I seen "American Beauty" yet? (For some of my favorite quotes from last Sunday's Oscars, check out the Favorite Quotes of the Week section.)

Now, on to the shows.

The first show I was really psyched for was "Titus" on Fox. Fox knows they need to get their act together. They've been having a terrible season, and so many of their old war horses are under performing and getting ready to retire that at this point they're probably desperate.

Unfortunately, I feel like whoever picked "Titus" as a mid-season entry into the sitcom race must have been watching a little too much "Malcolm in the Middle," and so when they saw "Titus" they thought of "Malcolm" and okayed the durn thing.

It's not terrible. It has some very funny moments, some good one-liners, and it's really exciting to see ex-soap actress Cynthia Watros in primetime. And it does share a lot of good qualities with "Malcolm." It's about a boy growing up in a crazy family, and trying his best to be normal in spite of it. Also like Malcolm, Titus himself breaks through the fourth wall to talk to the viewing audience, however it's in more of a "Once and Again" style in which Titus speaking to the television audience is in his own little black and white world separate from the rest of the show.

The problems with "Titus" begin here. When Malcolm speaks to us, he is simply adding little personal thoughts to what's already unfolded on the screen. He turns to us, the audience, for sympathy when his parents are particularly crazy, or when he realizes that he's made a really big mistake. "Titus," on the other hand, shares a bad habit with CBS's new sitcom, "Grapevine": it uses the little interludes of its star talking to the audience to tell more of the story, rather than simply enhancing it. If there's one thing I don't need on television, it's someone TELLING me a story. If I'm watching TV, I was to SEE the story.

In addition, "Malcolm" is funnier than "Titus," and much much more charming. Seeing Christopher Titus as the bumbling idiot adult he's become and having him blame his father and his childhood for his own short-comings is not nearly as sympathetic as the adorable Frankie Muniz playing a bashful genius growing up in the opposite of the Cleaver household.

Even more generic than "Titus" is NBC's new stay-at-home-dad show "Daddio." It's amazing that what is actually a fairly new idea (the only show I can think of that actually did something like this before is "Who's the Boss?") can already feel cliched. Michael Chiklis is sympathetic as the competent but put-upon stay-at-home dad, but the show just somehow isn't all that witty. My favorite moment from the pilot episode was towards the end in which Chiklis had a great speech proving to everyone that just because he's a man doesn't mean he can't be a good mommy, and just because he's a mommy doesn't mean he can't be a real man. If they could build upon this a bit, this could turn into a good show, but most shows only go downhill from their pilot, and I don't see "Daddio" being any different.

Also on NBC is a new sitcom called "Battery Park." I really don't have much to say about this show. I care about television, and I watch it for a living, so unless I'm really really tired, I don't fall asleep in front of the TV. Watching the pilot of "Battery Park," around 1pm on a weekday, I fell asleep on my couch. The only thing that woke me up was the overuse of a too-loud laugh track. Oh, and who thought Elizabeth Perkins was a good choice for a police captain?

NBC is giving the animated genre a try as well with the irreverent show, "God, the Devil and Bob." This is a funny show. On the one hand, we have the normal guy and his family, and on the other hand we have God and the Devil hanging out together. In one upcoming episode, the Devil is actually upset because God forgets his birthday.

Unfortunately, there is nothing special about this show. I mean, with God and the Devil and the fact that it's animated, one would think this show would be a gem, and it's just not that. It doesn't approach "The Simpsons," "King of the Hill," or even the tortured "Family Guy." With its low ratings and the fact that so many NBC affiliates are refusing to air it because of its casual depiction of God as a hippie and the Devil as an okay guy, I would say that if you have a free Tuesday night, give it a try, but don't get attached and don't expect too much.

"Then Came You," ABC's new comedy about a May-December romance, got so panned by critics that I almost didn't even bother to watch it. It was supposed to premiere in the fall, but ABC held it over until spring, which is generally not a good sign for a show. Many people seemed to feel that it would have been better if ABC had just kept in on the shelf entirely.

I gotta say, I didn't hate it. There are worse shows on the air. On the other hand, it suffers from the same problem that many of the other mid-season replacements seem to have: it's not special. It's incredibly generic. If it weren't for the fact that the actors have different faces, you could tune into this show and think it was any number of other sitcoms currently on the air. The pilot had some cute moments, but this show is not worth time out of your busy schedule.

Last, but certainly not least, there is ABC's new bake-a-band show, "Making the Band." This show scares me. I don't want to believe that someone out there can just put together a band and make it a success. That somehow makes me sad that that can happen. But, since the existence of this show doesn't actually change the fact that that is true (I mean, it would be true with or without this TV show), I guess I am a little curious to watch the show itself.

So the creators of "The Real World" on MTV got together with the creator of The Backstreet Boys and In Sync, to produce "Making the Band," a show all about the creation and success of a new boy band, O-town (can we vote on a new name?). The production quality is very similar to that of "The Real World," and leaves me with the similar question of "how in the world did they get this on tape?"

What I don't understand is why this show is on ABC. I mean, it's very similar to "The Real World," and it's actually about a music group, so why isn't it on MTV? On the other hand, this show is coming to you from the network that single-handedly started the primetime quiz show craze, so perhaps they're on to something. I'm just glad that the show is actually going to be a half an hour long, and not a full hour like the pilot. That was just tiring to watch after a while....

So, to summarize:

Titus, Fox, Mondays at 8:30pm ET. TK's grade: C-
Daddio, NBC, Thursdays at 8:30pm ET. TK's grade: B-
Battery Park, NBC, Thursdays at 9:30pm ET. TK's grade: D-
God, the Devil and Bob, NBC, Tuesdays at 8:30pm ET. TK's grade: B
Then Came You, ABC, Wednesdays at 8:30pm ET. TK's grade: C+
Making the Band, ABC, Fridays at 9:30pm ET. TK's grade: B+

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Andrea:

Did you see Titus? I'm not sure what to think. Stealing Malcolm in the Middle's format of talking directly to the camera and flashbacks isn't a good idea, especially because MITM does it much better. Malcolm has heart, Titus has testosterone. His girlfriend, who, while not as bad as Lorraine Bracco or Penelope Ann Miller, was terrible! This show only makes me agitated. The only thing that cracked me up was Stacy Keach, as the insensitive, lecherous dad. I'll probably give it one more chance but it looks like it'll only get old.

From Michelle:

I know I am one of the last fans of Beverly Hills 90210 but I have to wonder how many of us will be with a Kleeenex in May when the show ends. I realize it is not near as good as it had been but it will be hard to say good-bye. My secret hope is the "surprise wedding" they are talking about is Donna/David not Kelly/Dylan. I would love for them to show the scene from the High School dance again where Donna kissed David for the first time.

Letters from the viewing audience are always welcome. Please email any opinions, questions, comments, or random thoughts to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of "letters." Letters may be edited for length or content.

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3. Kim's Commercial Comments

Hello gang. I'm glad you tuned in to the newsletter once again. This week's chosen commercials are just ahead...

What spot has me laughing? Wingspanbank.com: Money Changes Everything

A really good commercial is good on all counts... not just witty dialogue, but good acting, good camera work, good editing, good music... you get the point. The spot I've picked for this week is an excellent example of why it takes more than pretty people and a punch line to make a spot memorable.

This simple little commercial from Wingspan Bank would be little more than a drop of water in the sea of forgettable spots... that is, without the music. Most of its thirty seconds are made up of a wholesome-looking young couple. The husband is sitting at his computer, engrossed in a video game. His wife comes into the room and sneaks up behind him.

"Honey, remember that expansion we talked about adding to the house?"

He doesn't even look up from the computer screen. We get a shot of the game; it has a really old, Space Invaders-esque look. He grumbles, "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Just sometime in the next nine months..."

The husband gets that look that pretty much all husbands get when they get news like this. An instant sense of total panic mixed with a little bit of pride.

Then the music comes up. "Money... money changes everything!" We get a series of fast edits and cool camera shots while the music plays. The happy couple gets a loan from Wingspanbank.com to build the expansion to their house.

This spot really sticks with me when I see it and I'm sure it's because of the music. It's like when I hear a really good song on the radio and I can't get it out of my head for days. I couldn't find it online anywhere, so you'll have to keep your eyes on the tube to catch it.

What spot has me cringing" TheTruth.com: Ridazit

While I applaud the effort and acknowledge the power of most of the recent spots from TheTruth.com, I have to say I'd be happier if this one would just disappear. It seems that I'm not alone. According to their website, "The truth campaign has gotten a lot of hype about the, shall we say, 'controversial nature' of some of our ads. No doubt they are direct and aggressive. So much so that some of the TV networks even refused to put them on the air. And, surprise, surprise, some of the tobacco companies aren't too psyched about the ads either."

Well, I don't think they should be pulled from the air... but I'd be happier without this one. It features a trio of too-silly teenage girls, apparently having a slumber party. They are inspecting themselves in the mirror and one of them has a tube of Ridazit. She explains how great it is supposed to be and that "It's from the rain forest." The third girl starts fanning her face and tells the others that it's really stinging. Suddenly she bursts into flames and is gone. The fact that girl #3 spontaneously combusts is not what offends me. That's to make a point (and most of us with at least 1/2 a brain get that it's not REAL). What I can't stand is the goofy, exaggerated teenage dialect and expressions.

I can do without it.

TKTV is always looking for new guest writers. Do you have an idea for an article? Write to TK with the subject of "guestwriter."

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4. Don't miss

For details and lots more fun TV to look forward to, see
http://www.tktv.net/index.html?/upcoming.html

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5. TV Trivia

Last week's question was: on what animated series do voices from both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "That '70s Show" now regularly star?

First prize goes to Lisa K. Congratulations!

Honorable mentions (sorry, without prizes, but keep trying) go to Tanya S. and Laura K.

The correct answer was, of course, "Family Guy" on Fox. Seth Green, Oz from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and Mila Kunis, Jackie on "That '70s Show," both voice characters on "Family Guy." For more info on this hilarious animated show, check out http://familyguy.tktv.net.

This week's question is: when Jason Wiles ("Third Watch") was on "Beverly Hills 90210," what bad habit did his character fall prey to?

Don't forget, this trivia quiz is sponsored by myTVshop, where you can get all your favorite TV merchandise.
http://www.mytvshop.com

Send answers to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of tvtrivia. Winners will be chosen at random from all the correct answers.

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6. Favorite quotes of the week

All from the Oscars this week.

From Barbara Walters's interview with Ricky Martin:
Ricky: "If you're happy all the time you're on drugs."

From Barbara Walters's interview with Mike Myers:
Mike: "My dad was covered in chocolate and rolled in nuts. He was a nut bar."

From the Oscars themselves:
Jane Fonda: "It is my privilege to prevent... present this Oscar."

and

Pedro Almodovar: "In my country, it is now six years in the morning."

and

Billy Crystal on Almodovar: "He makes Benigni look like an English teacher."

From my viewing audience in my living room:
Vayu: "I'm surprised Jar Jar Binks didn't get, like, Best Supporting Actor."

and

Rebecca on Queen Latifah's entrance: "Is that Nell Carter?"

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7. A totally unrelated link

Trailervision - Trailers for movies that don't exist

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"When your homestead is under attack from flaming arrows, you can't spend a lot of time planting corn." -Rick LeFaivre, vice-president in charge of Apple Computers's long term research (March, 1997)